Sony PSP Go console full review
Go gadget go go go!
We’ve seen the PSP shed some weight before with the slim and lite 2000 series and even get a marginally better screen with the 3000 series revamp, but Go, or PSP-N1000, is a whole new thing.
- Watch our exclusive full hands-on video with the PSP Go
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The Go is significantly smaller than the original PSP. The UMD drive has gone, replaced by 16GB of onboard storage and a card slot – compact Memorystick Micro rather than the hulking Memorystick Pro Duo of the original. A smaller, 3.8-inch screen now slides up to reveal the D-pad, analogue nub and face buttons. It also adds Bluetooth connectivity to the usual Wi-Fi.
The key change in all this is the replacement of UMD with memory and improved online access; Sony obviously wants to go head to head with the iPhone and iPod Touch and their game-stuffed App Store. Proprietory discs shops made of bricks and mortar are out. Games bought or rented online and downloaded and ready to play in a trice are in.
If you’ve got a big UMD library, you might want to wait and see what Sony offers existing PSP users. It’s hinted that it will bring in some kind of sweetener for anyone trading in their old PSP and assures us that most of the back catalogue will be available for download – presumably for free if you already own the relevant UMDs. The ideal would be some sort of software to convert your UMDs for Go play, but as that would raise all manner of piracy “issues” for Sony, don’t hold your breath.
There’s no 3GS-style performance boost for the Go and no hardware changes that affect gameplay – the joystick, buttons and so on are all in roughly the same place, and gaming feels exactly the same, once you get used to the shoulder buttons being slightly obscured by the open screen.
Dropping half an inch of screen width is not a great innovation, even though the resolution remains the same. There’s no boost to battery life either, but at least ditching the UMD drive means fewer moving parts that could fail, while booting from flash storage speeds up loading times with games,too.
To buy games, you need to sign up for a PlayStation Network ID. Then, browse the online store for games and videos before downloading them straight to your hard drive. PS3 owners can also dock with the mothership via USB and download files to that before synching with your Go.
Additional features? Link a headset via Bluetooth and the built-in Skype app turns your Go into a free phone any time you’re near Wi-Fi. Upload video and audio and its a PMP, although our unit was rather picky about what movie formats it would play – at least you knew UMD video was always going to work. With its extra storage, the Go is a more serious multimedia device than its predecessors, and the superb Xross Media Bar offers very easy access to your movies, music, pictures and games. The music player, with its hypnotizing visuals, sounds slightly louder and clearer than before, while pictures and video look great on the crisp screen, even with the lost inches.
By trimming the UMD drive and adding onboard memory, Sony has made the PSP Go a multimedia device fit to trade blows with the iPod Touch. The crucial question is whether it can match the smart hardware with an online store of sufficient size and quality.
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Games bought or rented online and downloaded and ready to play in a trice are in
| Our Rating |  |
|---|---|
| Price | £229 |
WE LOVE
The PSP's usual excellence as a gaming device and PSP, bolstered by more memory and greater portability. The promise of instant access to new gamesWE HATE
The smaller screen and lack of backwards compatibilityWE SAY
As it stands, you'd be ill advised to trade in your existing PSP for one with a smaller screen and no backwards compatibility, but new users are bound to be intrigued. Our advice: wait and see...Essential Mobile Apps
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By nightxshooter
3|10|2009 10:29
that look stupid
By rachell
4|09|2009 12:31
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1|09|2009 18:14
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Complete ONE of the offers on the 'offers' tab to qualify. Lovefilm is a free trial offer, Coral costs a one off £5, which you must place a bet with but may win some cash back! Lots of other offers to choose from if none of these appeal. bbc approved system, I have received countless free items from here, even my hdtv!
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